Guest post by Rev. James Zekveld
The Corinthian church has many problems, but it is doing well in respecting the creational order of men and women in its assemblies by requiring the women who might pray and prophecy to wear a head covering.
We should be cautious about stating, “This is what Paul teaches us to do in this passage normatively.” There is a different moral weight to varying passages in scripture. Some are clearer, “I delivered to you what is of first importance” (1 Corinthians 15:3). Some are less clear, “Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead?” (1 Corinthians 15:29). The number of interpretations by godly men, illuminated by the Holy Spirit on the head coverings (1 Corinthians 11:1-16) passage reveals something less than clear. Paul’s references to custom should make us cautious about putting great moral weight on this passage.
That doesn’t take away one iota from the call to each Christian to take seriously what Paul is teaching here. After all, each ought to be convinced in his mind. But we need to be careful how we bind one another. Here, I offer my understanding so that those whose consciences are burdened may be unburdened and those who are overconfident in their interpretation may refrain from lording it over their brothers.
Paul is applying the scriptures to two new realities in the assembly: a new unveiled worship of God through Christ and the unique manifestations of the Spirit in the first century through prophecy and tongues. To understand Paul’s goal in this passage, we need to understand the implied order of the assembly, the prophetic realities of the first century, and the gendered hair symbolism behind Paul’s recommendation of head coverings.
The Assembly
The Apostle is addressing the question of order in the assembly. Corinth is dealing with new covenant realities. The temple in Jerusalem is no longer the central place of worship among the people of God; instead, God is worshipped in Spirit and Truth anywhere the body of Christ gathers for that purpose. The church returns to the Garden of Eden, where God freely interacted with Adam.
In the temple, all sorts of veils protected those not ritually clean from God’s presence. The priests, too, were to come covered: covered before God in special clothing, even wearing special turbans and caps when entering God’s presence. All those veils are removed now. Christ’s flesh is the veil. He protects us from God’s holiness breaking out against us. The assembly returns to its Edenic glory, communing with God in union with the true High-Priest, Jesus Christ.
In the Garden, Adam was the liturgical speaker. Paul sums this up when he writes that Adam was created first, and Eve came from Adam. Paul says in verse 3, “I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.” The word translated husband in the ESV is the more generic word for man. Paul is not saying every man is the head of all women. The context is the assembly. The liturgical speaker is to be a man. He is speaking to the congregation, the wife, the bride of Christ. He will tell Timothy, “I do not permit a woman to teach a man with authority.” Appointing female speakers in the assembly undermines the authority and power of the church.
According to the garden pattern, the assembly is to be led by men. The congregation is the bride, hearing and receiving the word through their symbolic, liturgical husband.
Pentecost
Yet in this moment of history, there are new realities as well. The Spirit has been poured out so that both men and women see visions. God is speaking through all members of the congregation, emphasizing the ability of all to come before him based on the righteousness of Christ. There may also be an eschatological reality in this. There will be no giving or receiving in marriage in the new heavens and the new earth. It is hard to imagine that the same order we experience now will be experienced in heaven.
Regardless, God in his sovereignty moves through women to pray and prophecy in the congregation. Paul and Corinth recognized that this sovereign movement ought to be respected. Therefore, in this exceptional circumstance, women are allowed to address the assembly. But in doing so, they ought to signify that they recognize the good order God established at creation. Therefore, Paul approves of the Corinthian decision to require head coverings for their women when they pray and prophesy.
They put on this symbol for the sake of the angels. The reference to angels may be a double entendre. They do it for the sake of the ministering spirits who serve the elect so that the angels might rejoice in the good order of the service of God. Angels can also refer to human messengers. So, the Corinthian women also do it for the sake of the ambassadors of God, the pastors, who speak the Word of God, and who earnestly desire the good order of the church of God, even as the angels in heaven do. Considering how the assembly reflects heaven coming down to earth, Paul’s double entendre is apt.
Long Hair
Why head coverings? Paul is not raising some new veil here, particularly for women, while men may come before God unveiled. The key verse here is verse 6: “For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head.”
It is customary across all cultures for men to have shorter hair than women. Of course, there are exceptions, even in Israel, where Nazirites, both men and women, grow out their hair long, picturing in their bodies the bridal status of the body of Israel. However, in general, women delight in growing their hair long as a glory to their husbands. In the assembly, if moved to prophecy, they should simulate masculinity by covering up that glory with an artificial covering. For a moment, they are God’s glory, rather than their husbands’ glory.
Summary
Relying then on custom and general observations about hair length, Paul advocates for head coverings to continue to honor the order that God has established. In doing so, he honors the work of Spirit-filled prayer and prophecy in women, as the word of God. Therefore, based on this passage, no woman should feel obligated to wear a head covering while seated in the congregation of God. This is true, despite the many wise and venerable men who have lauded such a practice.
Pastor James Zekveld serves as Pastor in Trinity Covenant Church in Fort St. John, B.C. Canada. He is married to his dear wife Hannah, and has three children, Victor, Arley, and Phoenix, with a fourth coming soon.
